A 39-year-old woman was shot dead while leaving a funeral service in Guayaquil, Ecuador, for a murdered professional soccer player, authorities confirmed. Karen Grunauer Franco was killed Saturday, December 20, when gunmen opened fire from another vehicle as she departed the service for Mario Pineida, a 33-year-old fullback who had played for Barcelona de Guayaquil and the Ecuador national team.
Franco was found dead in the middle of the road following the attack. The male driver of her vehicle escaped the scene and made his way to a nearby police station, where he was later hospitalized in stable condition.
The shooting occurred just days after Pineida and Guisella Fernández Ramírez were killed together last Wednesday at a butcher shop in northern Guayaquil. The December 17, 2025, attack claimed both their lives in what authorities are investigating as potentially connected incidents.
Lieutenant Colonel Luis Obando López said police were investigating possible links between the two shootings. “The investigation continues,” López stated, as authorities work to determine whether Franco’s death was related to the earlier murder of the soccer player and his partner.
Franco had been a friend of Fernández Ramírez, according to investigators. Authorities characterized her as a new friend of the murdered woman, though the exact nature and duration of their relationship remains under investigation as police probe potential connections between the crimes.
Police confirmed Franco had no criminal record. The 39-year-old mother left behind two young children and had maintained a social media presence with approximately 2,500 Facebook followers. She was buried the day after the shooting.
No arrests have been made yet in Franco’s killing. However, authorities made progress in the Pineida case on Friday when two suspects were ordered to preventive prison. Cristian P. G. and Jimnery P. B. face charges in connection with the murders of the soccer player and Fernández Ramírez.
The case has drawn attention to the circumstances surrounding Pineida’s death. The Barcelona de Guayaquil player had requested special protection from his club before the fatal attack. Pineida had received death threats prior to his murder, raising questions about whether the soccer player had been specifically targeted and whether those threats extended to people in his circle.
The violence in Guayaquil occurred in the Sanales neighborhood, an area of the coastal city that has seen increasing criminal activity. The butcher shop where Pineida and Fernández Ramírez were killed became the scene of a brazen daytime attack that shocked the soccer community in Ecuador.
Pineida had represented his country on the international stage as a member of the Ecuador national team. His career with Barcelona de Guayaquil, one of Ecuador’s most prominent clubs, had made him a recognizable figure in Ecuadorian soccer. The loss sent shockwaves through the sports community, with teammates and fans mourning the sudden death of the fullback.
The funeral service that Franco attended drew mourners who came to pay their respects to the slain athlete. The fact that violence erupted at the conclusion of the memorial service has intensified concerns about ongoing threats and the scope of whatever circumstances led to the original killings.
Investigators are working to establish whether Franco’s presence at the funeral made her a target or if her friendship with Fernández Ramírez had put her at risk independent of the memorial service. The timing of the attack immediately following the funeral has raised questions about whether the killers had been monitoring attendees.
The driver who survived the attack on Franco provided crucial information to police after seeking refuge at a police station. His survival has given investigators a potential eyewitness to the shooting, though authorities have not publicly disclosed details of what he reported about the attackers or their vehicle.
The preventive prison orders issued Friday for the two suspects in the Pineida case represent the first tangible progress in the investigation. However, authorities have not indicated whether Cristian P. G. and Jimnery P. B. have any connection to Franco’s subsequent murder or if they are cooperating with investigators.
The series of killings in Guayaquil has left three people dead within days of each other. Franco’s two children now face life without their mother, while questions remain about what prompted the violence that began with the attack on the soccer player and his partner and extended to claim another victim at his funeral.
As the investigation continues, authorities are examining all possible connections between the victims and searching for additional suspects who may have been involved in Franco’s killing. The violence has highlighted security concerns in Guayaquil and raised questions about the safety of public gatherings, even solemn occasions like funeral services.
Sources:
https://www.the-sun.com/news/15682647/woman-shot-dead-funeral-star-footballer/
https://en.haberler.com/the-woman-who-attended-the-funeral-of-the-murdered-19383454/
https://latinus.us/deportes/futbol-internacional/2025/12/23/mario-pineida-ecuador-asesinado-mujer-funeral-160159.html
https://revistamonet.globo.com/noticias/noticia/2025/12/influenciadora-e-morta-a-tiros-ao-deixar-funeral-de-jogador-ex-fluminense-assassinado-no-equador.ghtml